Identification of small circular DNA viruses in coyote fecal samples from Arizona (USA).

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have a broad geographic distribution across North and Central America. Despite their widespread presence in urban environments in the USA, there is limited information regarding viruses associated with coyotes in the USA and in particular the state of Arizona. To explore viruses associated with coyotes, particularly small DNA viruses, 44 scat samples were collected (April-June 2021 and November 2021-January 2022) along the Salt River near Phoenix, Arizona (USA), along 43 transects (500 m). From these samples, we identified 11 viral genomes: two novel circoviruses, six unclassified cressdnaviruses, and two anelloviruses. One of the circoviruses is most closely related to a circovirus sequence identified from an aerosolized dust sample in Arizona, USA. The second circovirus is most closely related to a rodent-associated circovirus and canine circovirus. Of the unclassified cressdnaviruses, three encode replication-associated proteins that are similar to those found in protists (Histomonas meleagridis and Monocercomonoides exilis), implying an evolutionary relationship with or a connection to similar unidentified protist hosts. The two anelloviruses are most closely related to those found in rodents, and this suggests a diet-related identification.

Effect of species-level trait variation on urban exploitation in mammals.

Identifying drivers of urban association in wildlife is a central challenge in conservation biology. Traits facilitating access to novel resources and avoiding humans often correspond with urban exploitation in mammal species, but these relationships differ by taxa and trophic guild. Variation among or within traits may be a yet untested explanation for the non-generality of species-trait relationships in cities. Using camera trap data from 1492 sites throughout the contiguous USA in 2019, we investigated if mammal species with greater intraspecific trait variation have higher degrees of urban occupancy. We hypothesized that intraspecific trait variation would correspond with urban occupancy, but that the strength of these relationships would vary by taxonomic order due to expected phylogenetic constraints. Mean trait values (average home range size, body mass, group size, weaning age, litter size, and diet composition) varied widely across orders. The only traits that affected urban association across all species corresponded with demography (litter size), while responses across orders were more variable and informative. Mean trait values associated with home range and body size had informative relationships with urbanization for Cetartiodactyla, Rodentia, and Carnivora, while intraspecific variation in traits corresponding with diet (Carnivora), demography (Cetartiodactyla, Carnivora, Rodentia), and temporal responses to humans (Carnivora) had informative relationships to urbanization. This is the first study investigating mammalian species-level trait variation and its relationship to urban exploitation across many traits and taxa. Since natural selection requires trait variation, the variation of demographic traits, like litter size, can have significant implications for wildlife management and conservation. Our results also provide further evidence for omnivory as a form of dietary plasticity supporting urban accessibility in higher trophic guilds (e.g., Carnivora). Using this information, we can better manage and understand which species occupy and adapt to cities, thereby promoting human-wildlife coexistence.

Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indicators of conflict in Culver City, California.

As habitat generalists, urban coyote (Canis latrans) populations often utilize an abundance of diverse food sources in cities. Within southern California, domestic cats (Felis catus) comprise a higher proportion of coyote diets than in other studied urban areas throughout the United States. However, it is unclear which ecological factors contribute to higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in this region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-ranging domestic cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-ranging domestic cat occurrence and activity within a predominantly urbanized landscape. We placed 20 remote wildlife cameras across a range of green spaces and residential sites in Culver City, California, an area of Los Angeles County experiencing pronounced coyote-domestic cat conflict. Using data collected across 6 months from 2019-2020, we assessed the influence of green space and prey species (i.e., cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) and domestic cats) on coyote habitat use and activity. Coyotes exhibited a preference for sites with higher amounts of green space, while domestic cat habitat use was high throughout our study region. Although cottontail rabbit habitat use was also highly associated with urban green space, neither cottontails nor domestic cats appeared to temporally overlap significantly with coyotes. Unlike other cities where coyotes and domestic cats exhibit strong habitat partitioning across the landscape, domestic cats and coyotes spatially overlapped in green space fragments throughout Culver City. We suggest that this pattern of overlap may be responsible for the frequent cases of domestic cat depredation by coyotes in Culver City.

SNAPSHOT USA 2020: A second coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Managing wildlife populations in the face of global change requires regular data on the abundance and distribution of wild animals, but acquiring these over appropriate spatial scales in a sustainable way has proven challenging. Here we present the data from Snapshot USA 2020, a second annual national mammal survey of the USA. This project involved 152 scientists setting camera traps in a standardized protocol at 1485 locations across 103 arrays in 43 states for a total of 52,710 trap-nights of survey effort. Most (58) of these arrays were also sampled during the same months (September and October) in 2019, providing a direct comparison of animal populations in 2 years that includes data from both during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. All data were managed by the eMammal system, with all species identifications checked by at least two reviewers. In total, we recorded 117,415 detections of 78 species of wild mammals, 9236 detections of at least 43 species of birds, 15,851 detections of six domestic animals and 23,825 detections of humans or their vehicles. Spatial differences across arrays explained more variation in the relative abundance than temporal variation across years for all 38 species modeled, although there are examples of significant site-level differences among years for many species. Temporal results show how species allocate their time and can be used to study species interactions, including between humans and wildlife. These data provide a snapshot of the mammal community of the USA for 2020 and will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, and the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns. There are no copyright restrictions, and please cite this paper when using these data, or a subset of these data, for publication.

SNAPSHOT USA 2019: a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States.

With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14-week period (17 August-24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1,509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian's eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the United States. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban-wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot-usa, as will future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.

Impacts of forest restoration on water yield: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Enhancing water provision services is a common target in forest restoration projects worldwide due to growing concerns over freshwater scarcity. However, whether or not forest cover expansion or restoration can improve water provision services is still unclear and highly disputed. PURPOSE: The goal of this review is to provide a balanced and impartial assessment of the impacts of forest restoration and forest cover expansion on water yields as informed by the scientific literature. Potential sources of bias on the results of papers published are also examined. DATA SOURCES: English, Spanish and Portuguese peer-review articles in Agricola, CAB Abstracts, ISI Web of Science, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and SciELO. Databases were searched through 2015. SEARCH TERMS: Intervention terms included forest restoration, regeneration/regrowth, forest second-growth, forestation/afforestation, and forestry. Target terms included water yield/quantity, streamflow, discharge, channel runoff, and annual flow. STUDY SELECTION AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Articles were pre-selected based on key words in the title, abstract or text. Eligible articles addressed relevant interventions and targets and included quantitative information. RESULTS: Most studies reported decreases in water yields following the intervention, while other hydrological benefits have been observed. However, relatively few studies focused specifically on forest restoration, especially with native species, and/or on projects done at large spatial or temporal scales. Information is especially limited for the humid tropics and subtropics. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: While most studies reported a decrease in water yields, meta-analyses from a sub-set of studies suggest the potential influence of temporal and/or spatial scales on the outcomes of forest cover expansion or restoration projects. Given the many other benefits of forest restoration, improving our understanding of when and why forest restoration can lead to recovery of water yields is crucial to help improve positive outcomes and prevent unintended consequences. Our study identifies the critical types of studies and associated measurements needed.